U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke again with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimichi Motegi on Feb. 10. A State Department statement said the two sides “reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that “Secretary of State Blinken spoke again today with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimichi Shigeki. During the call, the Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed ways to strengthen cooperation with allies and partners in response to the military coup in Burma. Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance as a cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity, vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and welcomed further regional cooperation, including through U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral coordination and the Quadrilateral Dialogue mechanism (Quad). The Secretary of State and Foreign Minister also expressed concern about China’s increased assertiveness around the Senkaku Islands (known to China as the Diaoyu Islands) following the enactment of China’s new Maritime Police Law. Secretary Blinken reiterated that the Senkaku Islands fall within the scope of Article V of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.”
Earlier, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi held a telephone conversation with Joseph M. Young, chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Japan, on Sept. 9, expressing “great concern and unacceptability” regarding the implementation of China’s Maritime Police Law. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the 8th that “it is totally unacceptable to increase tensions in the East and South China Seas through the application.” Nobuo Kishi also stressed that it is not the application of the Maritime Police Act, but the intolerability of its implementation, which can be said to strengthen the criticism.
In a statement, The Japanese Foreign Ministry said, “The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the situation in Myanmar in the context of the recently released G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement and expressed serious concern about the current situation. In particular, the Ministers strongly condemned the firing on peaceful demonstrators in Nay Pyi Taw and agreed to strongly urge the security authorities to immediately stop the violence against civilians. They also agreed to strongly urge the Myanmar National Army to release detained officials, including Senior Minister of State Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and to restore a democratic political system as soon as possible. The two foreign ministers confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue to work closely on the situation in Burma.”
The Japanese side noted that “they agreed to work closely with other like-minded countries to achieve a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific region’ and to steadily strengthen the partnership between Japan, the United States, Australia and India. The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the regional situation, including China. On China, they expressed concern over China’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea, including the Maritime Police Act, and agreed to work together. The two foreign ministers agreed to continue to work closely with the United States and Japan on issues facing the region and the international community.”
Toshimichi Mogi also tweeted, “This evening, I had separate telephone conversations with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken. We had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Burma and other issues, shared serious concerns, and confirmed that we will work closely to avoid violence against civilians, release detained officials, and restore a democratic political system as soon as possible.”
Recent Comments